A variety of apparatus exist for collecting deformable sports balls, such as tennis balls. For example, some tennis ball collectors include a metal basket with a grid-like bottom surface and two rigid handles. With enough pressure, a tennis ball can squeeze through the spaces within the grid. When the handles are positioned for carrying, someone holding the collector can force the bottom surface of the basket onto a tennis ball that rests on a court or other hard surface, pressing the ball through one of the grid spaces. Repeating this process fills the basket with tennis balls. Once the basket contains some tennis balls, the handles can be repositioned to sit below the basket, acting as legs that support the basket so the collector acts as a convenient storage device for retrieving tennis balls to use for practice or play. The operating principle of these tennis ball collectors depends on the deformability of tennis balls.
Currently, there are no apparatus or methods that aid and simplify the collection, storage, and retrieval of baseballs, softballs or other substantially non-deformable balls that must be manipulated by hand for use.